A clown zips along Avenida Revolucion, adding a circus-like feel to Tijuana's tourist zone. Sharp-dressed locals mingle on a street corner that used to be jammed with American tourists but has recently been overtaken by locals who are propelling a cultural revival.

A clown zips along Avenida Revolucion, adding a circus-like feel to Tijuana's tourist zone. Sharp-dressed locals mingle on a street corner that used to be jammed with American tourists but has recently been overtaken by locals who are propelling a cultural revival. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

In recent years a number of Tijuana artists and musicians have been quietly repopulating some of the city's downtown bars and other former tourist haunts and using them to stage art events, jam sessions and other happenings.